View source for Alfred Gomolka

{{Short description|German politician (1942–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{expand German|topic=bio|date=May 2022|Alfred Gomolka}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Alfred Gomolka
|caption       = Gomolka in 1990
| image = Alfred Gomolka (retouche).png
|office1              = [[List of ministers-president of Mecklenburg#Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (1990–present)|Minister-President of<br />Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]
|deputy1              = {{unbulleted list|Klaus Gollert}}
|term_start1          = 27 October 1990
|term_end1            = 19 March 1992
|predecessor1         = Martin Brick {{small|(as ''[[Landesbevollmächtigter]]'')}}
|successor1           = [[Berndt Seite]]
{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Parliamentary constituencies
 |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
|office2       = [[Member of the European Parliament|Member]] of the [[European Parliament]] <br /> for [[Germany (European Parliament constituency)|Germany]]
|term_start2   = [[1994 European Parliament election in Germany|19 July 1994]]
|term_end2     = [[2009 European Parliament election in Germany|13 July 2009]]
| predecessor2 = ''multi-member district''
| successor2 = ''multi-member district''
| office6             = Member of the<br />[[Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] <br /> for Greifswald
| term_start6         = [[1990 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election|26 October 1990]]
| term_end6           = [[1994 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state election|15 November 1994]]
| successor6          = Hans-Jürgen Zobel
| predecessor6        = [[German reunification|''Constituency established'']]
| office10             = Member of the [[Volkskammer]] <br /> for [[Bezirk Rostock|Rostock]]
| term_start10         = [[1990 East German general election|5 April 1990]]
| term_end10           = 2 October 1990
| predecessor10        = ''Constituency established''
| successor10          = [[German reunification|''Constituency abolished'']]{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|7|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wrocław|Breslau]], [[Province of Lower Silesia]], [[Free State of Prussia]], [[Nazi Germany]] {{small|(now [[Wrocław]], [[Poland]])}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|3|24|1942|7|21|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Loitz]], [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]], [[Germany]]
| relations =
| children = 4
| residence = 
| party               = [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] {{small|(1990–2020)}}
| otherparty = [[Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)|Christian Democratic Union (East)]] {{small|(1960–1968; 1971–1990)}}
| alma_mater = [[University of Greifswald]]
| occupation    = {{hlist|Politician|Geographer|Teacher}}
| profession = 
| signature =
| website = 
| footnotes =
}}

'''Alfred Gomolka''' (21 July 1942 – 24 March 2020) was a German politician and [[member of the European Parliament]] for [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]. He also served as the [[Minister president (Germany)|minister president]] of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

==Personal life and death==
Gomolka was born in [[Breslau]], Germany (now [[Wrocław]], Poland).<ref name="NK">{{cite news| url= https://www.nordkurier.de/mecklenburg-vorpommern/ex-mv-ministerpraesident-alfred-gomolka-gestorben-2538844503.html| title=Ex-MV-Ministerpräsident Alfred Gomolka gestorben| language=de| work=[[Nordkurier]]| date=25 March 2020| access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> He had a [[PhD]] in [[geography]].<ref name="SVZ">{{cite news| url= https://www.svz.de/deutschland-welt/politik/Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns-erster-Ministerpraesident-Alfred-Gomolka-ist-tot-id27814502.html| title= Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns erster Ministerpräsident Alfred Gomolka ist tot|language=de| work=[[Schweriner Volkszeitung]]| date=25 March 2020| access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> He was married and had four children.<ref name="NK" /> At one point, Gomolka attempted to set up a new radio station. However, he was unable to compete with [[Norddeutscher Rundfunk]].<ref name="SVZ" />

Gomolka died on 24 March 2020, aged 77.<ref name="Ost" />

==Career==
Gomolka was a member of the [[conservatism|conservative]] [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]] (CDU).<ref name="Ost">{{cite news| url=https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Nachrichten/MV-aktuell/Ex-Ministerpraesident-Alfred-Gomolka-verstorben| title=Erster Regierungschef von MV: Alfred Gomolka verstorben|language=de|work=[[Ostsee-Zeitung]]| date=25 March 2020| access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> He joined the CDU at a young age,<ref name="SVZ" /> though he was at times unhappy with the party's alliance with the [[Socialist Unity Party of Germany]] (SED).<ref name="SVZ" /><ref name="Spiegel2">{{cite news| url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/alfred-gomolka-ist-tot-a-3bf4bf60-361e-4214-b9da-c2961e29e2d8| title=Ex-Regierungschef Alfred Gomolka ist tot| language=de|work=[[Der Spiegel]]| url-access=registration|date=25 March 2020| access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> He served on the Greifswald City Council when the area was part of [[East Germany]].<ref name="SVZ" />

Following [[German reunification]], he served as the first minister president{{efn|Some sources say Prime Minister}} of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] from October 1990 until 1992.<ref name="Ost" /><ref name="Spiegel2" /> In 1990, the CDU took 33 of the 66 seats in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament, but was aided by one person transferring from the SED to the CDU and two MPs from the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP).<ref>{{cite book| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dduIXz8kpEsC| title=German Unification in the European Context| last=Merkl| first=Peter| publisher=[[Penn State University Press]]| date=November 2010| page=212| isbn=978-0-271-04409-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DzTBBwAAQBAJ| title=The Baltic: A History| last=North| first=Michael| publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]| date=2015|page=304| isbn=978-0-674-74410-3}}</ref> In 1992, Gomolka was involved in the shipyard crisis,<ref name="NK" /><ref name="Spiegel">{{cite news| url=https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13687242.html| title=Krause gegen Gomolka| language=de| work=[[Der Spiegel]]| url-access=registration|date=2 March 1992| access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> a disagreement between Gomolka and the [[Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure|German Minister for Transport]] and CDU regional party leader [[Günther Krause]] over shipyard policies.<ref name="SVZ" /> Gomolka had wanted to rebuild and then privatise German shipbuilding, whereas Krause wanted to immediately sell the shipyards.<ref name="SVZ" /> They also disagreed on how many ships to sell to [[Bremer Vulkan]].<ref name="TS">{{cite news| url= https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/volkswerft-stralsund-101.html| title=Wir wollen unsere Millionen zurück| language=de| work=[[Tagesschau (German TV series)|Tagesschau]]|date=21 October 2019| access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> Krause accused Gomolka of incompetence over his handling of the crisis.<ref name="Spiegel" /> Krause then overturned Gomolka's shipyard policies.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13855379.html| title=Man muß mal hauen|language=de| work=[[Der Spiegel]]| url-access=registration|date=9 March 1992| access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref> As a result of the crisis, the CDU lost trust in Gomolka, and he left his role as minister president of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.<ref name="NK" /> He remained as a state MP until 1994<ref name="Spiegel2" /><ref name="NK" /> and was replaced by [[Berndt Seite]] as minister president.<ref name="SVZ" /> From November 1991 until March 1992, Gomolka also served as the [[president of the German Bundesrat]], before being replaced by Berndt Seite.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.bundesrat.de/DE/bundesrat/laender/mv/mv.html| title=Der Bundesrat|language=de| publisher=[[Bundesrat of Germany]]| access-date=25 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7Y14DwAAQBAJ| title= Kleine Geschichte des Föderalismus: Vom Fürstenbund zur Bundesrepublik| language=de|last=Funk| first=Albert| publisher=[[Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh]]| date=November 2012| page=354| isbn= 978-3-657-77028-1}}</ref>

From 1994 until 2009, Gomolka was an [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]], representing the CDU.<ref name="Ost" /><ref name="NK" /> He focused upon improving relations with the [[Baltic states]], and was an advocate for Latvia's entry into the [[European Union]].<ref name="NK" /> He served as the chairman of the EU delegation to the EU-Latvia Joint Parliamentary Committee.<ref>{{cite book| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=NU07cD6NEJQC| title=The European Union Encyclopedia and Directory 1999| publisher=[[Psychology Press]]| date=1999|page=324| isbn=978-1-85743-056-1}}</ref> After leaving the EU Parliament, he served as leader of the CDU Seniors' Union for northeast Germany until 2015.<ref name="SVZ" />

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website|http://www.alfred-gomolka.de/}}
* {{DNB portal|110185653X}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080107015715/http://www.europarl.de/parlament/abgeordnete/biografien/gomolka_alfred?p=6 CV at the European Parliament website]

{{Presidents of the German Federal Council}}
{{Ministers-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern}}
{{European Parliament MEPs, 1994-1999 (Germany) by party}}
{{European Parliament MEPs, 2004-2009 (Germany) by party}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomolka, Alfred}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Wrocław]]
[[Category:Politicians from the Province of Silesia]]
[[Category:MEPs for Germany 2004–2009]]
[[Category:University of Greifswald alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Greifswald]]
[[Category:Presidents of the German Bundesrat]]
[[Category:Members of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]
[[Category:Christian Democratic Union of Germany MEPs]]
[[Category:MEPs for Germany 1994–1999]]
[[Category:MEPs for Germany 1999–2004]]
[[Category:Minister-presidents of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]
[[Category:Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:People from Bezirk Erfurt]]
[[Category:People from Bezirk Neubrandenburg]]